Elephant Festival Kerala
Filled with heart-rippling enjoyment, the Elephant Festival of Kerala is worth a visit. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this festival offers a wonderful experience to the visitors. Besides Kerala beaches, backwaters and natural beauty, Elephant Festival is an event which attracts a lot of tourists. This festival is popularly known as ‘Thissur Pooram’. The term “Pooram” literally means a group or a meeting. According to folklores heavenly deities meet for a day on this festival. The sight of adorned elephants is truly a treat for eyes. Small elephant processions are the main highlights of the festival. The processions are marked by carrying the idols of the deity from various temples in different villages of Thrissur. The processions end at Vadakkunnathan Temple. Three priests sit on each of the elephants during the procession. Firework is another exciting attraction of this festival. The children enjoy this part of the festival the most.
Elephant Festival stretches for seven days and is celebrated in the month of April/May. No other festival in Kerala attracts as many visitors as this festival does. It is believed that this festival was celebrated for the first time in the late 18th century by Sakthan, the erstwhile king of Cochin. The term “Pooram” literally means a group or a meeting. According to folklores heavenly deities meet for a day on this festival. |
